


Max Origins

by mikato1



Category: El Goonish Shive
Genre: Alien Biology
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2017-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-12 20:28:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10498881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mikato1/pseuds/mikato1
Summary: the main cast of El Goonish Shive discuss over dinner using the oddity of Uryuom/Seyonolu biology to all contribute to a child through Grace.





	

An oddly uneventful afternoon was had, considering the nature of the town of Moperville. basically, Susan and Justin worked their respective jobs, and the whole crew ended up meeting up at the mall for dinner, by the odd sort of coincidence that seemed to drive their lives. What made this afternoon special, however, was a topic that was broached which would lead to the single strangest adventure the friends had ever considered undertaking: parenthood. As they finished their meals (except Nanase, who had seemingly disintegrated her food within seconds of sitting down, as usual), Grace said something that got them to thinking.

  
"Tedd and I were talking yesterday. We're bonded at the hip, and neither of us foresees any possible future in which that changes. With some encouragement, he's turned in patent requests for some of the things he's worked out recently. They were accepted, and with pretty much every major manufacturing company lining up for the contract, and a few that seemed to appear overnight in response to the idea, we're likely to never be in doubt of money."  
Nanase saw a pause in breath from the squirrel, and interjected with "talked about a family? Ellen and I are also considering the idea, what with my mother finally giving up on the loony idea we're going through some phase."

  
Elliot and Ashley simply met gazes across the table. They hadn't talked about this, but since they were so often on the same wavelength, it would take not only an act of God, but the concerted effort of several, to separate them. The idea of staying together had sort of invited itself in, and the direction the current conversation was going was not far removed from the nebulous future neither had ever bothered planning for. This locking of eyes did not go unnoticed, and the rest of the party simply took the expressive silence between them as confirmation that their spontaneous natures had, as usual, synchronized in latching on to an idea that brought them together.

  
Sarah, who was party to the original conversation yesterday, was keeping her mouth shut, since her opinion had been given then. That opinion was in the affirmative, pending approval of the somewhat greater idea lurking behind more typical drama in the affairs of young adults, especially with them having less time left in high school than the idea in question would take to ah... bear fruit.  
Justin, feeling awkward as was usual for moments of relationship discussion, made to get up from the table to bus the plastic tray the food court's meals came on, when Susan told him to stay here. "Hold on. Our group of friends doesn't do weird by half measures, and we haven't met our quota for the day." Justin, nonplussed, stayed put.

  
"Well, if it helps meet our quarterly goals, may I remind you I'm part alien," Grace quipped. This flippancy was enough in character to at first be dismissed as simply banter. Then Sarah, unable to continue holding her tongue, snickered. "You guys don't catch on fast, do you? We all pretty much consider each other family..."

  
Elliot, oddly, was the first to react. This was because he had the information that the remark made oblique reference to. "You mean.... holy hell, that'd be a fucked-up list of hyphens... Grace, are you okay with this?" At a nod from Grace, he addressed the still-puzzled remainder of the table.  
"Will and Gill explained to me about Uryuom babies. They're the ones that originally gave Tedd the gun. They don't reproduce sexually. Instead, they lay a sort of egg, and it accepts DNA from any living creature that touches it. Even if, perhaps especially if, this results in more than two parents. This is how Chimerae like Grace happen, actually. Any objections?"

  
After a solid minute of their table looking like an entire herd of deer in the midst of a headlight FACTORY, the stunned friends made a unanimous decision. That decision was as follows: "objections? LOLNOPE!"

  
Susan, agreeing, but wanting to save the heartache of this not working, felt obligated to point out "Don't there need to be two Uryuoms and/or Seyonolu to make the egg, though? Who else is going to help with that?"

  
Ellen, who had been present for some other odd info, decided to share. "Normally, yes. Didn't your grandpa say your Uryuom parent was special, though? That's why Damien wanted you, isn't it? Because you might have the single-source egg mutation thingy?" Grace nods again. "We've talked this through, and dad's oddly okay with it," says Tedd, adding to the conversation for the first time. "His exact words were 'well, I worried, but you've turned out okay. Just make sure the child always has someone to turn to, and pay that favor forward.' I think he wants this for us, honestly."

  
Elliot again states "fucked-up list of hyphens, but if you want to subject the child to spelling that, I'm in." He puts his hand in the middle of the table to show support. Ashley's hand finds his as a matter of course. The only hand not in the center right away is Sarah's, and that only because both of them were occupied with the last of her meal. The stack of hands made, Susan says "well, the list of hyphens can be rather short actually. Most of us won't be legal parents. The kid's going to get Tedd and Grace's last name, so official paperwork doesn't look weird. The rest of us get power of attorney and listings as emergency contacts if it's ever relevant. Same legal status as parents, as long as the paperwork is periodically renewed. What about the kid's first and middle names, though?"

  
Justin gave an evil-looking grin. "Middle name oughta be Legion, as a crack at being assembled from a whole army of people." After the laughter at this suggestion dies down, it is given approval. As for a first name, a conversation ensues as to how to determine it, or if the kid will pick a name. A relatively short list of gender-neutral names is compiled. Sam, Will, Max, and Jo are considered, with the understanding that it will be used in masculine or feminine form, depending on the child's preference. A show of hands around the table picks Max, though Jo is a runner-up.

  
As is typical of their luck, they were overheard. Catalina and Rhoda stop by as they get up to leave. Rhoda opens her mouth, blushes a bit, and opens her mouth again, as Catalina blurts "we heard everything! Could you please help us out and do some kinda alien-egg surrogate baby?"  
Grace, stunned, thinks about this for all of about a second and a half before saying "I have to have the raw biomass to make the egg, but if you're serious about this-"

  
"we were going to ask to borrow the transformaton ray thingy you guys mentioned once, this just sounds like it might work better. Like, the same person as the opposite sex would have slightly different DNA, right? This way, the genes aren't lost in translation."  
Tedd thinks about this for a similar second and a half. "Well, if it's okay with you, Grace."  
"It is. we're going to need to figure out where and when to actually make the eggs happen, though, and we'd have to keep them safe until they hatch, like any egg... Hey, do you think my brothers would mind babysitting while we finish school?"

  
Hedge, who, since he STILL couldn't get rid of the damn thing, had simply adopted an owl as a pet, appeared out of the lingerie store, presumably having purchased more of the net shirts he favors for allowing his quills through. "I don't. If that's even relevant, I suppose I can skip the 'how's it going' line. Congrats, sis!"  
The words "speak of the devil" are spoken by Tedd, Ellen, Susan, and Elliot simultaneously, in unison.


End file.
